Teen deaths make for wrenching year at Sarasota schools

Ten young people have died in a two-month period, including three at North Port High.

By BARBARA PETERS SMITH, JOHN DAVIS and HALLE STOCKTON

"Fragile" is the word North Port High School Principal George Kenney uses to describe the mood at his school, where three students have died unexpectedly in the past month.

The campus appeared quiet Friday, as students went about the routine of ending the week.

But inside its walls, Kenney said students, teachers and school counselors are feeling a mix of mourning and worry as they cope with the recent death of a football player in car crash and two students who apparently committed suicide in the past month.

Their passing is part of a grim accounting of youthful deaths in the Sarasota region, where 10 teenagers have lost their lives in the past two months.

But North Port High has seen the greatest concentration of loss of life. Kenney said many at the school are still grappling with the death of teacher Linda Thornton, 68, killed in a car wreck in November while driving to school.

"I'm just concerned with the cumulative effect of four deaths," Kenney said.

The two apparent suicides in North Port — of Wesley Tyler McKinley, 16, on April 8, and Brittany Palumbo, 17, on Wednesday — came around the same time as the suicide Tuesday of Pine View School student Tahir Refos, 16. Police are continuing to investigate the cases.

North Port High football player Marcus Freeman, 16, died March 15 when he lost control of his Ford pickup on Interstate 75.

North Port senior Marla Korenich said each death has taken a toll on students. The hallways are hushed. Anticipation for prom and graduation has faded.

"I never thought one of my friends would die in high school," said Marla, 18. "I can't eat and can't sleep. School is intolerable; I still can't really grasp the fact that this is happening."

Marla said she knew her close friend Brittany Palumbo was in pain, but she could not comprehend how deep it ran.

"Every day I tried to make her smile and let her know I was there," said said.

An outpouring of Facebook tributes has followed the latest deaths. Friends of Tahir Refos created a photomontage with messages to him: "We're staying strong for you," and "Pine View will never be the same."

A memorial video for McKinley, who moved to North Port from Jacksonville in August, says, "The best eight months of my life were spent with you here in North Port."

North Port High has a psychologist assigned full-time for the rest of the year, and counselors are visiting all English classes and passing out "Just Call for Help" cards that list resources to help students in crisis. New cards are also being distributed to all high schools in the district, said Robyn Marinelli, supervisor of student services for Sarasota schools.

Kenney said a school policy of downplaying student suicides makes it difficult for students to openly express their feelings. After high-profile memorials for Freeman, who played on the football team, the subdued response to the apparent suicides is a contrast that may seem insensitive to some.

Some research shows that the more attention that is paid to a suicide, the more likely it is that others may follow, said Sarasota School District psychologist Harvey Dorey, who works at North Port High.

"Research shows you want to minimize the memorial around that," Dorey said. "You've got to remember that suicide is a choice. When we look at suicide we have to be very careful in how we talk about that choice. The best scenario is that they can adapt to the circumstances."

But Karen Goldberg, a child and adolescent psychiatrist who teaches at the University of South Florida, said educators and parents should encourage young people to talk about loss.

"I think we end up glorifying suicide by not talking about it," she said. "It sends a message that we don't know what to do about it, but we do. We should allow children and teenagers to understand that this is a symptom of a treatable disorder."

Goldberg said Facebook memorials are a healthy way for bereaved teenagers to express emotions.

"We encourage parents to allow the youngster to process that grief and talk frankly with them," she said. "Be direct and honest. It's going to come up at different times: Something may remind them of the person they lost, and that's OK."

Goldberg said adults should look for signs that grief has "crossed over into something more concerning. They may say, 'I want to be with that person,' or 'Life has no meaning' — and these are warning signs."

But Charles McKinley, whose son Wesley was found dead at an unoccupied house in his North Port neighborhood, said there had been no indications that his son wanted to end his life.

"We are totally at a loss," he said. "We just cannot figure out what or why."

McKinley described his son as "a very happy child who had a smile on his face all the time." He taught himself to play the guitar, and was weeks away from getting his driver's license.

"He was thrilled to be here" after the family moved from a rural area near Jacksonville, McKinley said. "He started school a couple weeks late, and shortly after that they had a spirit week. He jumped right in and painted himself blue. He loved the school and his schoolmates."

Other Sarasota County teenagers who died suddenly this spring were Brandi Meshad, 18, Out-of-Door Academy, who died March 8, apparently of a drug overdose; Jessica Leonard, 15, and Kelly Janis, 15, students at the Sarasota Military Academy, and Riverview High School graduates Andrew Monroe, 19, and Sean Leonard, 19, who died March 13 when Sean Leonard lost control of an SUV; and Leesa Antoinette Falls, 14, of Venice Middle School, who died April 19, struck by a car while riding her bicycle.